The pitching match-up was Luis Mendoza vs. Esmerling Vasquez, so not exactly a battle of aces (not that either staff can really be said to have an ace at this point). Still, we showed early signs of life in the first. Alex Gordon showed some hustle getting a tough one in from left, holding Jamey Carroll to a single. Sure, Carroll came around to score thanks to a double and a grounder, but it’s the thought that counts.
Things looked less hopeful in the top of the second when Chris Parmelee hit a lead-off shot over the left field wall. But Mendoza got the next three Twins in a row, the third a 3-1 ground out that caught Pedro Florimon sliding headlong into first. I remain convinced that particular move angers the Baseball Gods.
And so it must have. The Royals scored three playing small ball in the bottom of the inning. The highlight (other than the scoring, of course) was rookie David Lough just barely stretching a single into a double. Gutsy if it works and stupid if it doesn’t.
With Minnesota apparently desperate for the sweep and the Royals apparently desperate to avoid getting swept, the crazy ball commenced in the middle innings. Before the sixth was half over, both sides had tried and failed to execute a sac bunt with a runner in scoring position.
The Twins scored twice in the sixth (and might have gotten more if their bunt thing hadn’t failed). But then we pulled ahead again in the bottom of the inning and tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Toward the end Ned Yost was swapping pitchers so fast even Tony LaRussa would have been impressed. But finally Greg Holland was able to start the ninth and seal the deal with three straight swinging strikeouts.
At the end of the season I’ll have more to say about our inability to beat the Twins at home. For now let’s just breathe a sigh of relief.
The box score: TWINS (4) AT ROYALS (6) TWINS AB R H BI ROYALS AB R H BI Ben Revere 5 0 1 0 David Lough 5 1 2 0 Jamey Carroll 4 1 2 0 Alcides Escobar 5 0 0 0 Joe Mauer 4 0 3 0 Alex Gordon 3 0 0 0 Justin Morneau 4 1 1 1 Billy Butler 4 0 1 1 Ryan Doumit 4 1 0 0 Salvador Perez 3 2 1 0 Chris Parmelee 4 1 2 1 Mike Moustakas 4 1 2 0 Matt Carson 3 0 0 0 Lorenzo Cain 3 1 1 1 Alexi Casilla 4 0 2 2 Eric Hosmer 2 1 1 1 Pedro Florimon 3 0 0 0 Tony Abreu 4 0 3 3 Trevor Plouffe 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 36 4 11 4 TOTALS 33 6 11 6 TWINS 110 002 000 -- 4 ROYALS 030 011 01x -- 6 LOB--TWINS 6, ROYALS 8. 2B--Joe Mauer, Lorenzo Cain, David Lough, Eric Hosmer. HR--Chris Parmelee. SACF--Eric Hosmer. SB--Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas. TWINS IP H R ER BB SO HR Esmerling Vasquez 5 2-3 7 5 5 3 2 0 Tyler Robertson 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Alex Burnett 0 2-3 3 1 1 1 2 0 Brian Duensing 0 2-3 0 0 0 0 1 0 ROYALS Luis Mendoza 5 7 2 2 0 3 1 Tim Collins 1 3 2 2 1 2 0 Francisley Bueno 1 2-3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Aaron Crow 0 1-3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Greg Holland 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 SO--Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Alexi Casilla, Ryan Doumit, Matt Carson, Trevor Plouffe, Pedro Florimon, Ben Revere, Chris Parmelee (2), Billy Butler (2), Tony Abreu, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer. BB--Matt Carson, Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez. LOCATION: The K CONDITION: Dry WEATHER: Warm, Clear Buck seat: W Pharmacy prof & meds for the poor Guard: Job Corps JROTC (sat in front of us for awhile) Anthem: Vibrato is not a substitute for hitting the notes Umpires H: Schreiber 1: Everett 2: Diaz 3: Welke Time: 1:13 Temp: 86
No comments:
Post a Comment